Which way for Venezuelan Revolution?

international | anti-capitalism | press release

Friday July 07, 2006 11:00

by Kevin Wingfield - SWP

info at swp dot ie

Ex Chavez Minister speaks out

Roland Denis, a former Minister of the Hugo Chavez government in Venezuela, will be speaking at three locations in Ireland. He is a guest speaker at meetings organised by the Socialist Workers Party.
The locations are:

* Cork: 11 July 8pm Victoria Hotel, Patrick St
*Dublin 12 July 8pm ATGWU Hall 55 Middle Abbey St
* Galway 13 July 8pm Foster Court Hotel, Foster St

Ex-Minister of Chavez Government speaks in Ireland

Roland Denis, a former Minister of the Hugo Chavez government in Venezuela, will be speaking at three locations in Ireland. He is a guest speaker at meetings organised by the Socialist Workers Party.

The locations are:

* Cork: 11 July 8pm Victoria Hotel, Patrick St
*Dublin 12 July 8pm ATGWU Hall 55 Middle Abbey St
* Galway 13 July 8pm Foster Court Hotel, Foster St

He will speak about the ongoing Revolution in Venezuela and what still needs to be done.

Biography:

Roland Denis is a leading revolutionary in Venezuela. He was a member of the Chávez government (in 2002-2003) as vice-minister of planning, but resigned after ten months, together with the minister, in protest at the lack of grass roots involvement in the planning process.

An organiser and activist since the 1980s, he was a founder member of the 13 April Movement, a grassroots organisation struggling to deepen the Bolivarian Revolution.

On the 11th April 2002, Hugo Chavez was overthrown by a US-sponsored coup. Mass demonstrations forced the coup plotters to flee and brought Chavez back. April 13th symbolises the beginning of the revolutionary process in Venezuela when the ordinary people came to the fore. Roland Denis has been in the thick of these struugles against wealth and privilege.

WHAT HE SAYS

“In terms of future development of the revolution there are two alternatives. The first is that the right recovers enough strength for a politics, violent or non-violent, able to defeat the whole Bolivarian movement, and the second is a much more profound institutionalisation of the movement than at present. But this is something which is still dependent on a profound struggle taking place between the movement and the institutional power of the state.”

“Our idea is to create a movement of workers. As well as the recuperated factories there are other projects. In the big state-owned enterprises—above all aluminium with 1,500 workers—comrades in the movement are developing experiences of direct workers’ control.”

”There is a class struggle in Venezuela, but not a revolution that has triumphed. A revolution is possible in Venezuela, but it is only a possibility. For us it is about Latin America in general. So far things have only advanced a little way. This is the question in Ecuador, in Bolivia, in Brazil, etc. In Venezuela it is a little better, while things in Colombia are terrible. What we have to do now is build a political strategy —not for the government, but for a popular revolutionary movement that can drive the movement forward. We need to build that movement together with the rank and file of the Chavista movement, who are using the same language as us.”
For more information on the Socialist Workers Party contact us at:Web: www.swp.ie Email: info@swp.ie Tel: (01) 872 2682

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Comments (6 of 6)

Chávez: 'That’s right. Milk for oil.'

by redjade

Tue Jul 11, 2006 00:45

The Progressive: Are you replacing the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund as “Daddy Big Bucks”?

Chávez: I do wish that the IMF and the World Bank would disappear soon.

The Progressive: And it would be the Bank of Hugo?

Chávez: No. The International Humanitarian Bank. We are just creating an alternative way to conduct financial exchange. It is based on cooperation. For example, we send oil to Uruguay for their refinery and they are paying us with cows.

The Progressive: Milk for oil.

Chávez: That’s right. Milk for oil. The Argentineans also pay us with cows. And they give us medical equipment to combat cancer. It’s a transfer of technology. We also exchange oil for software technology. Uruguay is one of the biggest producers of software. We are breaking with the neoliberal model. We do not believe in free trade. We believe in fair trade and exchange, not competition but cooperation. I’m not giving away oil for free. Just using oil, first to benefit our people, to relieve poverty. For a hundred years we have been one of the largest oil-producing countries in the world but with a 60 percent poverty rate and now we are canceling the historical debt.

Full text of interview at....
http://progressive.org/mag_intv0706

Stalinism lives it seems

by Topper

Fri Jul 07, 2006 20:15

"Chavez is under attack by the US. The SWP are supporting the US Imperialist attack by giving a platform to a so called democrat. Do the SWP call for the overthrow of Chavez?"

Lord god almighty, are you even capable of reading? We're not allowed venture the suggestion that the shit of Hugo Chavez does not smell fragrant, in case it helps Washington? Rubbish. Anyone who bothers reading the quotes from Roland Denis above can see that he criticises Chavez from a radical left-wing stand-point, and there's probably something to be said for his criticisms. I'll be going along to the meeting in Dublin if I can make it. Maybe you should drop along too, you might learn something.

Looks Bad

by Loki

Fri Jul 07, 2006 15:56

Chavez is under attack by the US. The SWP are supporting the US Imperialist attack by giving a platform to a so called democrat. Do the SWP call for the overthrow of Chavez?

sounds good

by Chris

Fri Jul 07, 2006 15:38

Great to see this meeting happening and fair play to the swp. Ive never seen swp sceptic or hypocrisy watch host a meeting with such a speaker. Until I do- best to ignore the whinging begrudgers. Well done to the swpers. Looking forward to the meeting.

Amazing

by Hypocrisy watch

Fri Jul 07, 2006 12:42

Denis has been a persistent caller for participatory democracy and citizen power in Venezuela. And these talks are being sponsored by the SWP. Amazing. Any chance of the idea catching on in the SWP?

La Revolucion depende de los Comunistas !

by SWP Sceptic

Fri Jul 07, 2006 11:58

Great to see an activist speaking here who hasa revolutionary vision and plan for South America and a critique of any reformist tendency within the Chavez government. However why under the auspices of the SWP, who are hardly a grassroots revolutionary party in Ireland and have a tendency to destroy any grassroot organisations which do not conform to their narrow neo-stalinist tendencies.

Attend the meeting to hear what needs to be done and to give solidarity with the rising people of Venezuela.

Don't get fooled into joining the swp....who " seriously weaken ( any ) position" for the revolution which we surely need.

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Which way for Venezuelan Revolution?

Comments (6 of 6)